Centrifugal pump



Sept. 23, 1958 R. H. STARK 2,853,013

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed June 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Sept. 23, 1958 R. H. STARK CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed June 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2* Fatented Sept. 23, 1958 hoe CENTRHFUGAL PUMP Roy H. Stark, Pittshurg, Karts, assignor to The McNally Pittsburg Manufacturing Corporation, Pittshurg, Karts, a corporation of Kansas Application June 22, 1955, Serial No. 517,338

2 (Ilaims. (Ci. 103-87) The invention relates generally to centrifugal pumps and has reference in particular to an improved pump of the centrifugal discharge type which will have a high operating efficiency with low cost maintenance and which will require the minimum amount of floor space since the drive motor, the impeller drive shaft and the intake passage are disposed in longitudinal alignment and in superposed relation with the drive shaft being located over the intake passage, and the drive motor being located over the drive shaft.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved centrifugal pump wherein the parts are compactly arranged so as to require the minimum of floor space and which is made possible by the provision of a new and novel base casting which is unitary in construction having integrally formed therein an intake passageway extending longitudinally of the casting and being located on the shaft side of the impeller so as to provide an annular inlet chamber for the impeller which is coaxial with the shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved centrifugal pump characterized by a unitary base casting which provides an integral intake passageway on the shaft side of the impeller whereby the impeller housing is closed on the side opposite the shaft by a releasable plate to facilitate quick and easy removal of the impeller for repairs or replacement and which operation can be effected without disturbing the pipe connections and other parts which join with the passageway to provide the intake for the pump.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a unitary base casting for a centrifugal type pump and which is characterized by having an intake passageway for the impeller formed integrally therein, and wherein the said casting comprises the main supporting member for the pump since the impeller housing,

the drive shaft for the impeller, and the power means for driving the shaft all have supporting relation on the said member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal type pump which will be rugged in construction,

embodying relatively few parts, which will have a high operating efficiency, with low cost maintenance, and wherein the several parts of the complete pump, although compactly arranged, can be easily dismantled for repairs and replacement.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the present centrifugal pump with parts being shown in section to best illustrate the main supporting member of the pump and the journalling of the impeller drive shaft thereby; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 of Figure 1, illustrating the manner of supporting the drive motor from the main supporting member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the base of the present pump consists of a casting indicated generally by numeral and which may be unitary in construction, having all parts cast integral therewith, or the several parts may be welded together to achieve the same result. the present pump and accordingly the various individual elements going to make up the complete pump have sup porting relation with said member. For example, the impeller drive shaft 22 is suitably supported by the casting through the bearing housing 40. The impeller housing 24 is releasably secured to the front discharge end of the casting, with the impeller 18 being fixed to the projecting end of the drive shaft and the electric motor for driving the shaft is likewise supported by the casting. through the threaded standards 42, all as explained in detail as the description proceeds.

In accordance with the invention the casting 10 has an intake passage 11 formed integral therewith, said passage extending longitudinally of the casting and terminating at its discharge end in an annular chamber 12 substantially coaxial with a shaft opening 13 formed in the rear wall 14 of the chamber. The opposite or entrance end 15 of the intake passageway 11 is horizontally disposed in the base of the casting in a plane below the chamber 12 and said entrance end terminates in an annular flange l6 having openings 17 for receiving bolts, whereby the passageway 31 may be suitably joined to a supply pipe (not shown) for supplying a liquid to the impeller 13 of the pump. Said impeller is conventional in design and in operation, the same having a central hub portion 20 by means of which the impeller is mounted on the forward projecting end of the drive shaft 22. The impeller is releasably secured to the shaft by the impeller nut 23. The volute or impeller housing 24 has a liquid sealing fit with the casting 1th at the front discharge end of the casting and it will be understood that the housing encloses the impeller 18 in the conventional manner so that liquid supplied by intake passage 11 and chamber 12 is delivered to the impeller on the suction side thereof and discharged at a high pressure from the discharge end 25 of the impeller housing. A suction wearing plate 26 is located at the suction side of the housing, being retained in position thereby, and the housing is completed by a front cover plate 27. The impeller housing is releasably secured to the front face of the casting 10 by a volute clamping bar 28. Clamping bar brackets such as 30 extend forwardly of the casting it) and said brackets provide a threaded bolt 31 and coacting nut 32 for securing the clamping bar in clamping position. As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the clamping bar 28 has contact with the central protuberance 33 provided by the front cover plate 27 and thus the plate and also the impeller housing are fixedly but releasably held in place with respect to e ';h other and with respect to casting Additional clamping means for the front cover plate 27 is provided by the retainers 35 which are clamped to the brackets 30 by nuts 36.

The impeller drive shaft extends longitudinally of the casting 10 and since one end of the shaft extends through the opening 13 for connection with the impeller 18, it will be understood that said drive shaft is located in a horizontal plane above the entrance portion 15 of the intake passage 11. The portion of the casting immediately above the entrance portion of the: passage 11 is provided with supporting standards such as 38 which re ceive and support the bearing housing 40. The supporting standards 38 terminate at their upper ends in laterally Said casting forms the supporting member of extending lugs identified by numeral 41. Each lug has fixed thereto an upright threaded bolt, such as 42, and by means of said bolts and the coacting nuts 43 the arcuate clamping straps 44 function to securely but releasably clamp the bearing'housing 40 to the casting 10.

With the bearing housing 40 in clamped position on the casting 10 it will be seen that the shaft 22 extends centrally through the bearing housing, being journalled thereby through the instrumentality of the forward thrust bearing assembly 45 and the rear drive bearing assembly 46. Each end of the bearing housing 40 is suitably closed by members such as 47. The portion of the shaft extending through opening 13 is provided with a wearing sleeve 48 and packing structure, such as 50, is associated therewith so as to seal this opening and prevent the escape of liquid along the rotating shaft.

The upright threaded bolts 42, in addition to retaining the coasting nuts 43 for clamping the straps 44 to the base casting 1ft, have the additional function of supporting the power means for the impeller drive shaft. Each of the bolts 42 retains a pair of nuts such as 51 and 52 between which there is located the flanged end-53 of a metal supporting frame 54. The said frame 54 extends for approximately the length of the bearing housing and said frame has suitably secured thereto the platform 55 which in turn supports the electric motor 56. Said motor is preferably secured to the platform by the securing bolts 57. The power shaft 58 of the electric motor has the pulley 61) suitably keyed thereto as at 61 and in a similar manner the impeller drive shaft 22 is provided with the pulley 62. T he, endless belt 63 operatively connects the pulleys so that the impeller drive shaft is driven by the electric motor which is located immediately above the shaft and is supported in said position by the standards 42 connecting directly with the casting 10 of the pump.

In the design of the present pump a unique arrangement has been achieved since the several parts includ ing the imbeller drive shaft 22, the journalling housing 40 therefor, and the electric drive motor 56 are arranged in superposed relation with the motor being located above the shaft and the shaft having location above the intake passageway. Accordingly the present pump requires the minimum in floor space. Also the unitary casting 10 is an important feature of the present design and which makes possible the compact arrangement of the various parts since the casting comprises the sup porting member of the pump and all the parts are supported thereon. The fact that the intake passage .11 extends longitudinally of the casting permits delivery of the liquid to the impeller with the least amount of turbulence and in addition thereto the flanged end 16 is located to the rear of the pump structure at the base thereof and is .thus conveniently located for connection with a liquid supply pipe. The impeller housing 24, the'suction wearing plate 26, and impeller 18 are positioned at the front end of the pump and are associated in a manner to facilitate easy removal of the parts for repairs or replacement. All three parts are held in proper position on the casting by the volute clamping bar28. .Uponrelease of the clamping bar and retainers 35 the impeller housing can be removed which permits easy removal of the impeller and the suction wearing plate. Since these operating parts of the present pump are located at the front of the casting they are conveniently accessible to the operator and it may be further noted that access to the parts is possible without disturbing the pipe connections at the entrance end of the intake passageway.

The invention is not to be'limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. in a centrifugal pump, in combination, a base supporting member for the pump in the form of a unitary casting, :said base supporting member providing a .longi: tudinally disposed intake passage which terminates .at the front-end of .the casting in an annular chamber, said chamber being disposed approximately coaxially with a shaft opening in the casting, the entrance portion of the intake passage adjacent the rear end of the casting being substantially horizontal and having a location in the base of .the supporting member in a plane below the chamber, an impeller drive shaft extending longitudinally of the supporting member and having one :end thereof extending through the shaft opening into the said chamber, means supported by the said casting for journalling 'the impeller drive shaft in a plane above the entrance portion of the intake passage, an impeller housing fixed to the front end of the casting and in a manner whereby the chamber provides an annular opening communicating with the interior of the housing, an impeller within the housing and fixed to the impeller drive shaft, and power means for the impeller drive shaft also having a supported relation on the casting and being located above the said drive shaft.

2. A centrifugal pump as defined by claim 1, wherein the impeller has its suction side directed toward the'said chamber and which thereby delivers to the impeller, wherein the impeller housing has an opening in its front wall, a'cover plate for closing said opening, and clamping means having releasable securement to the supporting member for clamping the impeller housing in' position on the member and for also clamping the front cover plate to the housing.

References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,169 Schwitzer Aug. 4, 1931 2,673,524 Schweizer Mar. 30,1954 2,709,965 Litzenberg June 7, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 383,294 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1932 386,432 Great Britain M Jan. 19, 1933 

